Movement/Transcript

NARRATOR: "Lilly doesn’t look impressed at all, and I can't really blame her. On top of her issues with her stall, she still seems to be worried about Hanako. I can't really help her with the former, so I guess the only way I can help is by trying to take her mind off our shy mutual friend. Placing the bowl back on the counter, I call out to Lilly."

HISAO: "Hey, Lilly, don't worry about Hanako. I'll go find her and hang out with her, okay?"

NARRATOR: "I can see Lilly's relief plainly written across her face."

LILLY: "Thanks Hisao. And if you see anyone from my class, can you tell them to come back here please?"

HISAO: "Will do. Have a good one. And make sure you take a break, okay?"

LILLY: "I will if I can. See you later, Hisao."

NARRATOR: "I leave Lilly in the stall and head out in search of Hanako. In a way, I feel bad for leaving her with the crowds, but even though she was clearly under pressure, I can't help but think that she is enjoying herself. The halls are packed with swaying crowds meandering throughout the festival. If there's one thing I know about Hanako, it's that she's not going to be anywhere near this. And with the students showing their friends and family their dorms, I doubt she'll be there either."

NARRATOR: "Following blind intuition, I move against the grain of the crowd. Thankfully, this crowd seems to be slightly less festive than your usual festival crowd; I assume this is out of consideration for the student body. As I force my way through the masses, it doesn't take long for them to thin down into nothingness. This is not surprising, since I am standing before the library. Even the most eager of students don't bother to show anyone this section of the school. As I enter the library, the noise of the festival fades into a dull background noise, and soon I am in the reading area at the rear of the room. Behind one of the partitioned desks I see the top of a head, with straight, dark hair catching my eye."

HISAO: "Hey, Hanako. I had a feeling I'd find you here..."

NARRATOR: "The head jumps a little in shock before slowly peeping over the partition."

HANAKO: "H-Hisao?"

HISAO: "Hey. Lilly's pretty busy, so she sent me to find you."

HANAKO: "O-oh. Do you want to sit down?"

HISAO: "Actually, I am feeling a little hungry. Would you to like to get something to eat from one of the stands?"

HANAKO: "Um... I... I brought some food so..."

NARRATOR: "I shouldn't be surprised, but it was worth a try. Expecting her to go outside today was a long shot."

HISAO: "How about we eat in the tea room? I passed by it on the way here, and no one was around. We can make some food there, and it'll be a little more comfortable. What do you say?"

HANAKO: "S-sure. Let's go."

NARRATOR: "Hanako closes her book and puts it away with deliberate, practiced movements."

HISAO: "Good to go?"

HANAKO: "Y...yeah."

NARRATOR: "We walk side-by-side from the library to the tea room. As expected, there is barely a soul around. If it weren't for the murmurs through the walls, you wouldn't tell that there was a huge festival going on outside. Hanako carries her bag in both hands and focuses on just the floor ahead of her. Every now and again, she seems to break her pace a little and steps in slightly shorter paces. The first time it happened, I gave it no mind, but I soon notice that she does it on a regular basis."

HISAO: "Are you all right?"

NARRATOR: "She stops dead in her tracks."

HANAKO: "W-what?"

HISAO: "I dunno... it looked like you were tripping or something..."

NARRATOR: "A pink blush rises into her cheeks as her gaze returns to the floor."

HANAKO: "It... it's nothing."

HISAO: "You know, when you say “nothing” like that, people are inspired to ask further questions."

NARRATOR: "For a second I don't think she is going to answer. Prepared to leave it be, I almost set off walking again, when..."

HANAKO: "It's a... a game."

HISAO: "Game?"

HANAKO: "Do you... see the floor here?"

NARRATOR: "What a bizarre question. The floor looks just like any other floor; covered in those tiles made up from squares of linoleum. Nothing noteworthy."

HISAO: "Well, yes. What about it?"

HANAKO: "Sometimes... when there's no one around... I only step on the darker ones..."

NARRATOR: "Hanako's voice trails off as her explanation continues, until I can barely hear her voice over the roaring silence of the empty hall."

HISAO: "Darker ones?"

NARRATOR: "Shuffling her feet, Hanako points the toe of her shoe at a tile that is barely a shade darker than the others."

HANAKO: "L-like these ones."

HISAO: "Oh, right, so these ones are no good?"

NARRATOR: "I point out a nearby tile."

HANAKO: "Y-yeah. Something... something like that."

HISAO: "Oh, I see. Do you play this game a lot?"

NARRATOR: "Hanako shakes her head."

HISAO: "Just when the halls are empty?"

NARRATOR: "She nods."

HISAO: "Well then, no point in stopping, I'm beginning to get really hungry."

NARRATOR: "She nods again, this time with a little more enthusiasm."

HISAO: "Well then, let's go."

NARRATOR: "We set off down the hall, and this time I notice that Hanako is paying a little less attention to the floor. I wonder; just how lonely does someone have to be to come up with a game like that? But, before I realize what I'm doing, I find myself trying to aim each step so it lands on the correct tiles. The noise of the festival is slightly louder inside the tea room, but the breeze coming through the open window makes it worth it. Without thinking, I walk to the windowsill and inhale deeply. I sometimes forget how clean the air is here compared to back home."

HANAKO: "Do... would you like some tea?"

HISAO: "That would be great, thanks."

NARRATOR: "It occurs to me that this is the first time I've been alone with Hanako without her trying to be somewhere else. Turning from the window, I watch as she makes a simple pot of tea and arranges some sandwiches onto a plate. I've seen her do this before a number of times, but this time she seems slightly different. It's like she's... calm. Eventually she places the small tray on the table and pours two cups of tea. The fresh scent of brewed tea mingles with the breeze, and for a second I feel like I'm the only one in the world."

HISAO: "I think I know why you like this room now."

HANAKO: "Um... I don't know what you mean."

HISAO: "Well, there are quite a few people out there, but in here it's like another world. You can pretend that there's no one around for miles."

HANAKO: "Y-you're right. It's like the world has forgotten this room. And b-because of that, you can forget about the outside."

NARRATOR: "That would be appealing in some cases. As far as I can tell, conventional bullying doesn't exist in this school. But then again, I haven't seen a single person talk to Hanako besides Lilly. If you're ignored by the world, a place where you can forget its existence would hold a special appeal."

HISAO: "That's a good point. It's like this room gives you some kind of complete freedom."

HANAKO: "Y-yeah. Say... do you play chess?"

HISAO: "Chess? I've played it a bit, I guess. I take it you've played before?"

HANAKO: "A little..."

NARRATOR: "Without saying anything more, Hanako moves to one of the cupboards and digs out a small chess set."

HANAKO: "Do... do you want..."

HISAO: "Sure, why not?"

NARRATOR: "I cut her off, but she doesn't seem to mind it."

NARRATOR: "We arrange the pieces, and before long we are sending pawns charging to their inevitable fates. I take my time and intently examine each move and its consequences, nostalgia for the game taking second place to the matters at hand. For a time the game is a lengthy battle of attrition, but I spot an opening and tear a line in her defense. A few moves later, her king is cornered by several of my pieces."

HISAO: "Checkmate. You're not bad at this, are you?"

NARRATOR: "An honest appraisal. Her technique is pretty good, but several times I was able to exploit her lack of prediction. I pick up a piece and examine it. It looks relatively new, yet worn for its age."

HANAKO: "I... I guess not."

HISAO: "Does Lilly play?"

NARRATOR: "The absence of Hanako's answer causes me to think about my question."

HANAKO: "A... A bit... T-this is the first time I've played against someone... other than her, or..."

NARRATOR: "Or...? She cuts herself off abruptly, leaving the answer hanging in the air. Someone she knew before coming to Yamaku, maybe."

HISAO: "Well then, I'm honored to have played against you."

HANAKO: "Um... can we play again?"

NARRATOR: "She asks as if she were asking me to cut off my own hands. The spirit of competition's gotten into her?"

HISAO: "Sure. Though don't expect me to go easy on you this time..."

NARRATOR: "Not that I was before, mind. She seems to appreciate the competitive tone."

HANAKO: "S... same here..."

END OF ACT 1

Next Scene: Act 2: To Town, To Town